Concord and Lexington

On the morning of April 19, 1775, the American Revolutionary War started. It started outside of Boston, Massachusetts.

When I was in middle school I went to visit my Aunt out in Massachusetts. It was one of those family vacations that was long enough ago that I can’t quite remember all the details. To this day I can’t remember when exactly we visited or if there was a reason for our trip out east. More importantly, I think it was this trip that really solidified my love of history. The whole region has so much.

While I was there we took a tour of Paul Revere’s house, walked the Freedom Trail in Boston, and more importantly visited Concord and Lexington. And from what I remember, the experiences were truly amazing. I think they helped open my eyes to the power of history, of truly being able to connect those dots between the past and present. I remember being in Lexington reading the plaques and realizing the impact that the past action of a few men had a profound impact on my current life.

We’ve all heard the story: On the night of April 18, the British Army marched from Boston to nearby Concord to seize their weapons stockpile. Seeing the movements, a beacon was placed in Old North Church, which helped sound the alarm. From there Paul Revere rode out to warm the Minute Men yelling “The British are coming!” When the two armies met in Lexington fighting broke out

(I just learned a fact that really made me laugh a bit; a fact that had me edit what I typed above to include this fun nugget of historical learning. This is the fact that Paul Revere probably never yelled out “The British are coming!” as he rode out to sound the alarm. First, many of the British were hiding in the countryside so the operation was meant to be discrete (even in terms of 1775 timelines a man shouting “The British are coming!” was not discreet). Secondly, the colonists still considered themselves British at the time, so that probably wasn’t the exact phrase Mr. Revere used.)

At dawn on April 19, the British army of 700 came upon 77 militiamen outside of Lexington. After being ordered to lay down their weapons a shot was fired. To this day, nobody knows which side fired first. Several British volleys were unleashed and eventually order was restored. Eight militiamen lay dead on the soon-to-be-American side with nine wounded, and one Redcoat was injured.

The British continued into Concord to search for the weapons being stockpiled there (which had been relocated by this time) and decided to burn what little they did find. Militiamen occupying the high ground outside of Concord moved to Concord’s North Bridge, which was being defended y a contingent of British soldiers. The British fired first, but their fire was returned.

After searching Concord for about four hours the British prepared to return to Boston. But by this time almost 2,000 militiamen had descended to the area. They followed the army and engaged them. When the British column reached Lexington, it ran into an entire brigade of fresh Redcoats, but this did not stop the colonists from continuing their fighting.

What does this event signify? Perhaps I’m overemphasizing the American Revolution because I myself am an American, but we were the first country to seize the ideals for the Enlightenment and fight for them. From nothing, the men and women of our country have created something wonderful. America is revered as one of the greatest countries in the world. While we may be far from perfect, we have withstood 240 from that first day of fighting. Let’s come full circle from where I started – the actions of the men that fought 240 years ago shaped the country we are today. Without their actions, the present may have been very different indeed.

Happy History!

Badass Women in History: Eleanor of Aquitaine

Every day I go to work, sit in my cube and do what I think is important work. Occasionally I get in a slump where I wonder why I’m doing what I’m doing and if I’m making a difference. So today I’m going to start what I hope is an ongoing series to remind me that in the grand scheme of things I still could do something significant… here’s to dreaming!

This is a series I’d like to call Badass Women in History. In a world ruled predominantly by men, it’s easy to find information about them and their achievements. But women, they play a completely different role, play by a completely different set of rules, and often met a bloody end because of their influence.

Today I’m going to start off with someone everyone should know: Eleanor of Aquitaine. If you’ve heard the story of Robin Hood (and who hasn’t heard the story of Robin Hood) you know of Eleanor: she was the mother of King Richard I and King John.

Eleanor was born in 1122 or 1124 in Aquitaine, a region of France filled with wealth and prominence. At the age of 15 her father make her Duchess of Aquitaine, making her the most eligible heiress of France. So eligible in fact, that she was married to King Louis of France in 1137. She would have two children, both daughters with Louis.

As part of the marriage agreement it was decided that Aquitaine would remain a separate entity outside France until Eleanor’s first son reached majority, which helped solidify her power. Also showing her power was Eleanor’s decision to accompany her husband on the Second Crusade, it is even rumored she dressed as an Amazon.

In 1152 Louis and Eleanor’s disagreements reached a head and she was awarded an annulment. This was after she birthed two children, both daughters. They remained in France.

This is when Eleanor started looking for prospective second husbands, and her sights fell on Henry II. With a claim to the English throne, he seemed to be a good option, even though he was around 11 years younger. On December 19, 1154 Eleanor was crowned queen of England. At this time, England had claim to more land in France than the French King.

Her and Henry had eight children, five boys and three girls. Henry and Eleanor’s marriage was not easy; both were strong willed and both strayed from their marriage. Eleanor took favor to Richard and raised him in Aquitaine where she resided away from her husband. And in 1173 she even joined forces with her four oldest sons and attempted to overthrow Henry. The revolt didn’t work, and Eleanor was locked up until 1189.

Richard ascended the throne after his father’s death (and death of his three older brothers). While on the Third Crusade Eleanor ruled England as regent. Eleanor died in 1204, outliving all her children except John. She was close to 80-years old.

During the twelfth century women didn’t have much power, so for one woman to be queen of two countries, bare 10 children, and live to be close to 80, Eleanor didn’t do too badly for herself.

Christmas on the Frontline

In 1914, five months into the Great War, for a few short hours the guns stopped firing on either side. This small act became known as the Christmas Truce.

On Christmas Eve, both lines sang Christmas carols from the trenches and on Christmas Day, the German troops appeared from the trenches saying Merry Christmas in their native tongues.

At first the Allies feared an attack, but seeing their foe unarmed they joined them in no-mans land. The men exchanged presents of cigarettes and plum pudding. There was even a friendly game of soccer (or football) played between both sides.

The so-called Christmas truce only happened in 1914 and this event was the last show of chivalry between enemies; a ceasefire during war was never replicated. Here we are 100 years later, and history would show that the Great War was not the war to end all wars. But on this single day I hope that all can reflect on the true meaning of this holiday: peace, love, and goodwill. May everyone regardless of religion have a truly wonderful day.

About a month ago this ad was circulating. It really depicts what occurred and speaks to what happened a hundred years ago. If you haven't had a chance to watch, it's a nice gesture today.

First Battle of the Ypres: Oct 19 – Nov 22

When WWI first broke out, many thought that it would be a fast war that would be over by Christmas. Armies happily marched to war. Hindsight of the event would reveal a war that would last 4 years and kill millions of people.

The first major battle was what came to be known as the First Battle of Ypres (yes, there was more than one Battle of Ypres). Starting October 19th and ending on November 22, this battle lasted over a month, and both the German and British strategies are unclear. The accepted reasoning for the battle was the British desire to secure the English Channel ports and their supply lines. The French strategy was to prevent German forces from outflanking the Allied front from the north.

Ypres was the last major German option after their defeats at the First Battle of the Aisne (September 1914) and First Battle of the Marne (September 1914). The Battle of Ypres became the culmination of the Race to the Sea.

After four months of heavy fighting and casualties (750,000 German and 995,000 French), the German and Allied armies attempted a breakthrough operation to win a decisive victory. Ypres was strategically vital. It was the last geographical object protecting Calais and Bologne-sur-Mer, and the loss of these ports would have denied the Allies the shortest supply route. For Germany, Ypres was also strategically important; the collapse of its Ypres front would allow the Allied armies access to the flat terrain of Flanders.

I found it interesting to learn that at Ypres the British army provided the smallest number of men. Instead of providing forces, they saw their role similar to the Napoleonic wars: maintaining their dominance of the seas and providing financial support.

This battle was made up of several smaller battles. Being hugely complex, I’m only going to summarize the conclusion. The German Army, though the best in the world, was unable to gain a decisive victory. On both sides, the commanders struggled to come to terms with the power of modern weaponry and adapting their techniques. The battle also marked the superiority of the defensive strategy over the offensive strategy. In fact, it wouldn’t be until the Hundred Days Offensive in 1918 when the Allies would no longer take the defensive position.

Ultimately, at the end of the battle both sides were at a stalemate, where they would continue until 1918. This battle brought both armies to the end of the line, the ocean where they could no longer attempt to outflank one another.

As I said, there were several battles at Ypres, and the next will be very influential as well.

Happy History!

The Flooding of the Ijzer Plain

Flooding near Yser, 1916

My WWI tour was really wonderful. I had the fortune to see things up close and personal, in addition to learning some new information. Our second stop on the tour was what has been dubbed “The Trench of Death.” This area is part of the Ijzer Plain, and it’s a preserved line of defense for the Germans. On October 19, 1914 the area was flooded to stop the German advances.

Time for some background on this event. Allow me to pull out the nifty handout I was given and I in turn insisted on bringing back with me.

In October the Belgian Army and the German Army were in a stand off over the Ijzer Plain. The Commander-in-Chief of the Belgian armies, King Albert I, calls on his men to preserve some land for Belgium against the German invaders. So the land was passed back and forth between the two sides.

What’s important to note at this point is the geography of the region: the land in this area is only a few meters above sea level. As my tour guide explained it, the Germans didn’t have great maps with them and they thought the region was actually several more meters above sea level than it was.

On October 16, 1914 the area was partially flooded to make sure the strategy would work. On October 19, 1914 the canals from the Yser River were opened and the area was fully flooded, restricting the German movement and effectively stopping their progress to the sea. The fighting switched from a war of movement to true trench warfare. The region remained swampy for the remainder of the war.

Now at the top of this blog I mentioned “The Trench of Death” and I thought (mistakenly) that this area was preserved because of the flooding that happened in October 1914. Well, as I continue to refer to my handy flyer, I realize that the Trench of Death is completely separate. So for that reason I’m planning to wait to post about it.

So now the meat of this short blog: why does this battle matter and why is it important? This small victory allowed the Belgians to remain control of a sliver of land and made King Albert a Belgian national hero. For us today, I think this victory is important to remember and know about. I certainly hadn’t learned about it before my trip and keeping the Germans from reaching all the way to the sea certainly helps give the Allie troops some advantage during this early stage of the war.

Happy History!

My image looking out of the Trench of Death. Notice how close the river is, and imagine how easily this area could become flooded.

Plan XVII and the Battle of the Frontiers

In my notes from my WWI tour I have “look up French strategy/offensive.” I wrote this as I watched a video on the bus from Brussles to the German cemetery; I wrote it because I was taking notes during a movie being played on a history tour that I went on during my vacation.

Clearly I am the coolest person ever.

When I typed this simple term into Google, Plan XVII came up. And with it came the Battle of the Frontiers. This was the offensive strategy of France and the Allies at the start of WWI.

After the defeat of the French armies during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871, the French military adapted to the new balance of power in Europe. With the growing strength of Germany, and the loss of Alsace and Lorraine to Germany, France had to react with it’s own plan.

Plan XVII developed from strategies prior to it, and essentially it called for increased military presence at the Franco-German boarder, with additional troops on the Franco-Belgian boarder. Luckily, General Joseph Joffre who drafted the pan saw a risk of German attack through Germany.

When Germany declared war, France executed Plan XVII with five initiatives. Collectively, this is known as the Battle of the Frontiers.

Battle of Mulhouse – Aug 7-10 Battle of Lorraine – Aug 14-25 Battle of the Ardennes – Aug 21-23 Battle of Charleroi – Aug 21 Battle of Mons – Aug 23-24

Essentially, all five were implemented as an offensive into both Alsace-Lorraine and Belgium. Essentially, in a few weeks the French were pushed back to their starting positions. The only reason that the Germans were halted is because they outran their supply lines.

In this same movie I learned that the Germans realized they needed to go on the defensive. So, the Germans began to dig in and create trenches. All the lines that I saw had one thing in common: the Germans had the higher and better ground.

Happy History!

July 28, 2014 – Beginning of the War to End All Wars

Here we are. We’ve made it to July 28, 2014. And if you paid any attention to my blog or your history classes you should know what’s coming next.

The war to end all wars, the Great War, World War I.

I thought there would be more as we got closer, but really there hasn’t been much made about this. And I find that sad from a historic perspective, as well as for the realiziation I’ve come to about this war.

I need to actually back up a bit.

The post date may say June 28, but I’m not actually posting this on this day (thanks for covering my ass technology). In actuality, I’m posting nearly a week later. Why?

For over a year it has been my dream to go to Europe around the start of WWI. I wanted to be on the continent on the day when this war broke out, a war that would change the map of Europe forever and culminate in nearly an entire generation’s death and cause three empires to crumble entirely. In anticipation I actually scheduled a tour of WWI sites in Belgium. I’m glad I did the tour before I posted.

Why?

This war was probably one of the most profound wars that is also overlooked. It lasted for four grueling years, resulted in 10 million military deaths, and nothing was accomplished. For four years men from around the world came to sit inside a trench and do nothing except occasionally gain an enemy trench and kill their “enemy” with cruel and astonishing proficiency. When the war concluded in 1918, the landscape of France and Belgium was completely destroyed, void of town that stood there and any natural elements. Craters existed where bombs had exploded, or mines were dug into the ground.

What I saw on my tour were two very opposite things. First was the sheer volume of death. 10 million is a huge number, but to visit cemetery after cemetery, see the 300,000 names of those who were missing in action, presumed dead, and never identified, and really realize just what a waste the war was on life is profound. The sheer scale goes way beyond what you can understand when you read some numbers on paper. The second thing I saw was life: towns have since been rebuilt, trees now inhabit the previously barren no mans land, and life has moved on.

As my last post addressed, the powder keg was the Archduke being assassinated. However, it wasn’t until this day that the Central Power countries did anything. Think about that, over a month had passed before Austria made a decisive move.

On this day in history the Austro-Hungarians fired the first shots in preparation of the invasion of Serbia. Let’s back up just a bit; prior to this date, the Austria-Hungary delivered an ultimatum to the Kingdom of Serbia in response to the murder of Franz Ferdinand and declared war. Austria hoped the Germans could help deter Russia from being engulfed in war. Serbia replied to the ultimatum on July 25, but rejected two of the demands. Austria served diplomatic relations and ordered partial mobilization.

It was William II of Germany who pushed for war. He instructed the German Foreign Office to tell Austria-Hungary there was no longer justification for war and it should temporarily occupy Belgrade. I think also that it can be safely assumed that Austria-Hungary is equally responsible – the leaders probably wanted to prove they were still relevant as an Empire, and wanted to assure their dominance on the continent. The next day war was declared and the artillery began to bombard Belgrade.

At this point the international alliances formed over the previous decades were invoked. Russia ordered partial mobilization against Austria-Hungary.

So, on this day the first shots were fired. What happened next?

Germany no longer believed the conflict could be “localized” to the Balkans, so on July 31 they sent a 24-hour ultimatum requiring Russia to halt its mobilization and an 18-hour ultimatum requiring France to promise neutrality in the event of war. Both countries ignored these demands. So, on August 1 Germany ordered war against Russia and France ordered general mobilization.

As Russia mobilized (which we know always takes them time to do) Germany seized the moment. On August 2 they asked neutral Belgium if they could come through the country to France. Belgium said no, because it was a neutral country. So, on August 3 and 4 Germany invaded Belgium and Luxembourg before moving towards France, leading Britain to declare war on Germany for breaking Belgium’s neutrality.

Well, what ended up happening was that Germany made it into Belgium, but they got bogged down there from Belgian resistance. The Germans were unable to make it to Paris (per the Von-Schlieffen plan) and the result was a series of battles knows as the race to the sea where the two parties tried to out-flank one another until they hit two land barriers: water and mountains. The trench warfare that pursued was really a 4-year stalemate between the powers.

I’m not even close to being done posting about WWI. I not only have four more years of moments to capture, but a few more that I would like to post about on their 100 year anniversary (among other things). So for now I leave you with this, but expect more to come.

Happy History!